


.::The War on Falling Stars::. Chapter 5 : My Dark Disquiet

by Antigravity_Carnivore



Series: The War on Falling Stars [5]
Category: Breaking Benjamin (Band), Poets of the Fall, Project Vela (Band), STARSET (Band)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Augumented Reality, Character Death, Dark, Dark Character, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F.E.C., F/M, Family, Family Feels, Gay, Gay Male Character, Government Agencies, Government Conspiracy, Government Experimentation, Loss of Trust, M/M, Music, Musicians, New West, Outer Space, Science Fiction, Trust, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore
Summary: The story continues as Scott finds himself in a very precarious position, and struggles to keep his faith that the ones he loves will be returned to him, while Thomas Bell clings on desperately to life. Slowly losing his power, the Shepherd of the Damned makes the ultimate sacrifice, but is it to save the entire world, or one soul?
Relationships: Dustin Bates/Benjamin Burnley, Dustin Bates/Brock Richards, Thomas Bell/Benjamin Burnley
Series: The War on Falling Stars [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1322462
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	.::The War on Falling Stars::. Chapter 5 : My Dark Disquiet

**Author's Note:**

> I know this chapter title is not keeping with my current structure of the War on Falling Stars song titles, but while writing this, I was listening to this song a lot, and I think it sums up the feeling of helplessness that several characters are going through.
> 
> It will be a bit confusing towards the end, but everything will be explained in the next chapter, so sit tight and enjoy the ride.

The first few flakes of snow fluttered down from the sky shortly after sunset, covering the branches of the trees and sidewalks with a pristine white blanket of beauty. The air was deathly calm, no birds singing, no loud honks of beeping of car horns, not even the shrill high pitched voices of children outside playing in the nearby park could be heard. The weather had been unusually brutal and cold in the last few days, and most of the population was already home from work at this hour, warm and safe in their living rooms, curled up on couches, waiting for bed time. Bright, amber light spilled out onto the sidewalk from their houses, guiding Scott around the twisting sidewalks as he made his way back to his own home. It wasn’t very far from the university to the place where he lived, and would have much liked to drive, but Lizzie had taken his car the night before and hadn’t returned with it, forcing him to make a tough decision to cancel his classes for the day, or brave it and make the walk. After the strange encounter the night before with Dustin, and all the lunacy he brought with him, Scott was more than willing to spend the day walking to the college. He had spent most of the night awake, getting little sleep, his mind refusing to shut off for a few hours. He found himself mulling over the nonsense and trying to sort out the gibberish about a new planet and government conspiracy that Dustin had brought to him, and also trying to reach Lizzie. Every 20 minutes or so, he tried to call her, but she never picked up. Eventually the phone started sending him to voicemail, and he realized that she must have gotten irritated by the massive amount of calls and texts from him, and shut the phone off. From his bedroom, Scott could see over across the street to Lizzie and Thomas’s house, and the entire night it was dark and quiet, no one ever came home.

The morning only brought more worry and confusion. Lizzie still had not arrived home yet with his car, and there was no sign of Thomas anywhere. Looking over at their empty, dark house again, a chill went down Scott’s spine. Something wasn’t right. For a moment, he considered going to the hospital to track her down, but he remembered the look in her eyes when he offered to help her. She was fiercely independent, and just the thought of how angry she would be was more than enough to dissuade Scott from beginning a manhunt for the missing woman. It was only a few hours since she had taken the car, and far from any warning signs that she might be in trouble, he was worrying too much. Making a mental note to look into her absence when he returned home, Scott made his way out the front door and looked down the street. He sighed. The college seemed so far away, and there was a chill in the air which brought with it the promise of snow later in the day. He turned around, preparing to go back inside and use the excuse of not having a car for a chance to drink beer and watch TV all day, when he spotted a envelope sticking out of his mailbox. His mail carrier didn’t deliver until much later in the evening, so this letter indeed was suspicious. Pulling off his gloves, Scott flipped it over and noticed that it had his name on it but no return address. Curious, he slid his finger underneath the flap and ripped it open, tugging on the thick layers of folded up paper inside. Unfolding the note, the first thing he noticed was the messy, inconsistent handwriting that was scrawled across the pages. Heavy and thick lines in some places, and small winding sentences in others made it almost impossible to read. He rifled through it, scanning briefly over the text and raised an eyebrow at the massive amount of scribbling nonsense which went on for over 20 pages. It was way too much to take in this early in the morning. Flipping over to the last page, he glanced at the author’s name and chuckled, immediately folding the papers back up and shoving them into his messenger bag. He had his fill of Dustin Bates ranting the night before, and didn’t feel like dealing with his shit first thing in the morning. Wrapping his scarf tightly around his face to combat the cold, frigid air that was creeping in, Scott forgot about the letter and made his way to the university.

The day went on without event, and now he found himself walking back home, listening to music and trying to keep his mind off the fact of how cold he was. The promise of a hot shower, and a few beers is what kept his feet moving. He didn’t want to think about how empty the house still was without Ember and Travis being there, it only worsened his depression. Coming to terms with their absence was one thing, but now with Dustin showing up and all the bullshit theories that he was trying to force down Scott’s throat, it made him incredibly upset, and he wanted to punch something. Both Ember and Travis were gone, the disappeared without a trace, he was pretty sure that they weren’t stuck on another planet, like Dustin had tried to convince him of. The fact that there were internet lunatics out there, targeting vulnerable people, pissed him off and made him even angrier. Remembering the letter that Dustin had left him, Scott stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and rummaged through his bag, looking for it. Finding it stuffed underneath a massive amount of class notes and papers he had to grade, he held it tightly in his hand and approached a garbage on the curb. The snow had picked up a bit more, and had taken on a strange amber glow underneath the streetlights which illuminated him. Slipping the pages out from the envelope, he glared at them. He really didn’t care what Dustin had to say. The man was just preying on people, hoping that they would fall for his far fetched theories and join him in his lunacy, and Scott didn’t want any part in it. In the morning, he would make his way over to the science building and have a ‘talk’ with Dustin and politely ask him to mind his own business. If he persisted, then he would take it up with the dean of the university, and have him suspended. Or at least that was the proper way to do things, the much easier way would be to just threaten him, and put the fear of God into the arrogant asshole. It had been a long time since Scott had to throat punch anyone, and the idea of getting to do it to Dustin Bates to get him to shut up was a really good one. After all, Ember wasn’t around anymore, so did it really matter if he was setting a bad example?

Looking down at the papers in his hand, Scott frowned and pushed the lid to the can open. Every word on those papers was utter nonsense, and garbage, and it was going to be thrown away, just like the rest of the trash. Just before he pitched the papers in, there was a loud roar at the end of the street, and a black van came racing around the corner at a high speed, skidding on the new fallen snow, and heading right for him. Startled, and unable to react, Scott found himself trapped in the bright light of the headlights, his eyes wide, watching helplessly as the massive vehicle came flying right at him. The sound of the tires crunching the snow was loud and deafening, and Scott silently wondered if he’d be able to hear the sound of his bones breaking at the moment of impact when the van hit him. Closing his eyes, he waited for death, but on this night, his luck held out. A few inches away from the curb, the van skidded to a stop, and Scott opened his eyes to see that the front bumper was merely a few feet away from him. He was spared. Letting out a sigh of relief, Scott stepped further back onto the sidewalk, not quite knowing why, but feeling safer if he was away from the stationery vehicle. Still clutching onto the letter from Dustin Bates in his hand, Scott watched as the door opened up and the driver stepped out. The overhead streetlight started to buzz and flicker as he moved around to the front of the van. Feeling awkward, Scott called out to him. “Hey man, are you okay? You hit that curb pretty hard, eh? The road got slick pretty quick, you should be more careful next time. They don’t really treat the roads around here often, so the best bet is defensive driving.” The man stepped out, and stood directly between the headlights. The streetlight flashed one more time and went dark. Scott held his hand over his eyes to shield them from the high beams and tried to get a good look at the driver. All he could see was a dark shape, a shadow standing before him, with his hands tucked into his pockets. A sense of dread overcame him, and Scott felt anxious. Sensing that the man wasn’t going to answer him, and this was the time to leave before things got weird, Scott cleared his throat and waved to the stranger. “Well, whatever, I am okay and as long as you’re okay, and you don’t need any help with the van, I am going to take off. I got papers to grade and there’s a beer calling me in my fridge. Be careful out there, buddy.” Giving the man a quick wave, Scott turned around and started back on the path to his house. In the murky silence of the night, he noticed that as he walked, he could hear footsteps in the snow behind him, keeping pace. A quick glance behind him, and he could see the driver had abandoned the still running van and was following him. He quickened his pace, knowing that his house was only a few more blocks away, and he could easily make it there and avoid any confrontation with this man. As he walked, Scott fumbled through his bag again, this time looking for his cellphone. His fingers brushed through his student’s papers, some new guitar strings, a tube of chap stick, some tissues, keys to his house, and his wallet, but came up short of finding the phone. Panic started to set in, as he walked faster, crunching the new fallen snow underneath his boots. Then he noticed that the sound of the footsteps behind him stopped. He slowly turned around to look. The man behind him had stopped a few feet away and was standing motionless.

Even though he was standing in a shadow, Scott could see that the man was dressed in black boots, tight fitting black pants and had a form fitting black hoodie pulled up around him, which obscured his face from view. It was the perfect get up for a mugging or robbery, both of which Scott was determined not to be the victim of. Irritated, Scott called out to him. “Alright man, you had your fun. Leave me alone now, or else I am going to have to call the cops. I don’t know what game you’re trying to play here, but I am not interested. You’re probably some punk ass student, acting on a dare or something like that, trying to scare the living shit out of your professor. Well, you’ve done it, good job. Now you can go back to your dorm and tell them that you did what you came to do, and I was thoroughly frightened, so much so, that I even peed my pants before running away screaming like a little girl. Would that work? Now, get the fuck out of here, this is your last warning before I come over there, and beat your punk ass down.”

The man’s black gloved hands slipped casually into his pockets. He didn’t move. After some time, he finally spoke. “I know where Ember is.” He whispered.

Scott snapped. Closing in the distance between them, he flew over the sidewalk in a flurry of frenzy, his feet barely touching the ground and grabbed the man by the front of the hoodie, shaking him violently. “You son of a bitch! I told you last night that I didn’t believe in your bullshit!” Thrusting the pages of the letter at the stranger, he continued to shout, his loud voice shattering the eerie silence of the night. “Here, you can have this back, I didn’t even bother reading it, because it’s scientific nonsense. Just because you want to believe something so absurd doesn’t mean that you can force others into believing it as well. Other planets, evil corporations that are planning on taking over Earth and turn us all into mindless, brainless zombies to do their bidding? It’s all been done before, but not by scientists and researchers, but authors and writers. It’s called science FICTION dipshit, and if you believe it all to be real then there’s something seriously wrong with you. But hey, that’s okay, believe what you want, but for the love of Christ, stop preying on people.” Scott tightened his grip on the front of the man’s hoodie. “I lost my daughter and the man that I love, and you have no idea how that feels. All you can see is an opening to prey on my loss and have me believe in your tin hat wearing government conspiracies. Well this is your very last warning. Stay the fuck away from me Dustin.”

A sudden sharp pain in his side made Scott stop. It radiated out through his whole body, wracking him with waves upon waves of electrical shocks. He immediately let go of the man’s shirt and started falling in what seemed to be slow motion down to the sidewalk. His messenger bag came open and slid off his arm, sending his papers and Dustin’s letter swirling back and forth through the air, landing on the ground at the same time as his body. Lying on the cold, hard ground, he convulsed as the man came to stand over him. Scott looked up in fear, totally incapacitated and saw that the man had a Taser in his hand. He had discharged the entire bolt into Scott’s side, turning the big man into nothing more than a convulsing heap of jelly at his feet. Tossing the gun to the side, the man knelt down and rolled the helpless Scott over onto his stomach. Foam poured out through his clenched teeth and down onto the sidewalk, as the shock of the Taser wreaked havoc on his nervous system. Feeling the man zip tying his hands together behind his back, Scott tried to fight, but he found that his body wouldn’t respond. Next, the man turned toward his feet and bound them together at the ankles. The harder he tried, the more painful it became. Eventually, he felt the soft flesh of his cheek touch the icy ground and started to become incredibly tired. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the loose gravel on the sidewalk and the pages of Dustin Bates’s paper lying scattered over the ground as the man in the dark hoodie slowly dragged him toward the waiting van.

The sound of loud voices woke Scott up from his slumber. There was a pounding in his head that refused to let him open his eyes, but his sense of self-preservation won out and with a great deal of effort, he managed to lift his heavy lids for a look around. He was sitting on a bed, in a run-down hotel room, with his hands tied over his head, attached to the headboard. His ankles were still bound together, which in a way was a bit blissful, because every single movement he made was painfully excruciating due to the side effects of having 50,000 volts of electricity running through his veins. He felt as though he had just finished running a 100 mile marathon. Thick, heavy curtains were drawn over the single window of the room, and the door was bolted in three places, signifying that wherever the location of the hotel was, it couldn’t possibly be in a good neighborhood. There was a old TV sitting on top of the dresser, and it was turned on and tuned into some random news channel, but the sound was turned up to max, a obvious sign that his kidnapper didn’t want him calling out for help. Glancing over at the bed next to him, Scott saw the pile of black clothing that his abductor was wearing. Along with it was a black backpack, partially unzipped and exposing a few of the contents inside. His eye caught the bright silver flash of what looked like the handle of a gun sticking out. This wasn’t the innocent, harmless Taser anymore, this was a deadly weapon. The stranger meant business. Along with the gun were a number of pre-filled syringes, carefully packaged for transport, a cellphone, a empty box of rolled medical gauze, and what looked like a plastic identification badge for some sort of medical facility with a code on it. It displayed the name and a image of the person that it belonged to, but there were reddish brown streaks smeared across it, totally obscuring nearly everything but the bar code.

Scott leaned his head back against the headboard and wiggled his wrists again. It was of no use, he was tightly secured. His eyes darted around the room, trying desperately to find something that he could reach to help him escape, but there was nothing, he was stuck here. His mind raced, trying to think of who could possibly want to put him in this situation, and he just kept coming back to one person, Dustin Bates. Their meeting on the previous night didn’t go well at all, and Scott had a feeling that he could be behind it all. Dustin was so keen on his theories about Prox, and wanting so desperately for someone else to believe him, that he could have been capable of staging this entire incident just to get Scott to fall for it. He hated the fact that he had allowed Dustin to speak to him at lunch, and even more that he let the lunatic into his home for a chat, but he was desperate for any information about Ember and Travis that he had to do it. Too much time had passed now since they disappeared, and he had exhausted every single option available to him. There wasn’t anything left but to listen to absurd theories, or just give up, and the latter of which he refused to do. He wished that he had taken a moment to read the letter that Dustin had shoved into his mailbox, before any of this happened.

Deciding that it was best to sit tight and just wait and try to rationalize with Dustin, possibly talking him into a calmer situation, Scott scanned the room once again, and noticed that there was light coming from the bottom of the bathroom door. With the TV volume turned up to max, he had failed to hear the water running from the room beyond, and now knew exactly where his captor was. Wiggling his rapidly numbing fingers in their bonds, Scott could feel his heart pounding in his chest, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to get out of the situation unscathed if he didn’t take steps to try and tip the scales in his direction. Summoning his courage, he called out loudly over the television to the sealed bathroom door. “Hey listen, whatever you are up to, whatever you want, we can talk it over. I really am a not a violent person and if I did something yesterday to piss you off, I am sorry.”

The bathroom door cracked open a few inches, and a wave of hot air and steam came rolling out into the room, but the man remained inside. This was a good sign, it meant that he was listening. Taking a deep breath, Scott called out again. “I just get really emotional when it comes to my daughter and Travis. They’ve been missing for so long, and I’ve not found any trace of them, it’s like they completely vanished, and on top of it all, the locals have been really unkind to me.” Even though the TV was obnoxiously loud, Scott dropped his voice a bit, he didn’t care if the man was listening. “My neighbors, the people in my town, they all believe that Travis took her away, molested her and killed her… that’s why he hasn’t come back. That can’t be true…I know him better than anyone, even himself. He’d never hurt her, or put her in danger. Travis loves Ember like his own daughter, hell she pretty much is his family now, that's how close we have all become…anyway, what I am saying that maybe…just maybe I have not been open minded enough to listen. You have to please believe me when I say how sorry I am about dismissing you so rudely yesterday. I was wrong to throw you out like that, and I’d like to have another opportunity to discuss it all again, in a more comfortable setting of course. If you could just set me free, I promise that I will not flee from you, or call the cops. I will sit here and we can talk. Isn’t that what you want, someone to talk to?”

Through the crack in the door, Scott could see the man step over to the sink. For the first time, he got a glimpse of his long, tall muscular body and knew instantly that it wasn’t Dustin. He was standing completely naked in front of the mirror, his tanned flesh covered in a rainbow of colored bruises from head to toe, covering almost every inch of his skin. The door concealed most of his body, and only offered a sliver glimpse of his frame, not allowing him to see any facial features, but he could see the the man's short dark colored hair. At his feet were several towels, haphazardly thrown down onto the floor, the clean white fabric stained red with what looked like fresh blood. The sound of scissors clattering in the porcelain sink made Scott jump, and he swallowed hard, trying his best to shove the rising fear back down. Keeping his eyes focused on the man, he saw him turn around to grab a towel from the shelf behind him, and got almost a full view of his nude backside, and quickly averted his eyes. While he was looking away, the door fully opened, and the man stepped out, towel draped around his waist and made his way over to the TV, shutting it off and filling the room with silence. The metallic twang of scissors made Scott panic, and as he looked up, he saw Travis standing at his feet, cutting the zip ties away from his ankles.

Scott’s jaw dropped open, his eyes widened and all words just fell away from his lips. The man that he loved, and had vanished for over a year was now standing right before him. He was a lot thinner than he used to be, but more muscular and well toned. Water droplets from the shower beaded up and dripped down over his chest, which was covered in bruises and scrapes. It was obvious that he had been badly beaten and abused. As he worked to cut Scott free from the zip ties, he noticed white gauze wrapped around both of Travis’s hands, over his knuckles, which was slightly seeping with blood. As he cut the last plastic strap, Scott sat up and rubbed his wrists, still keeping his eyes trained right on Travis, unable to believe that he was really there. “Travis…” he whispered.

Tossing the scissors onto the bedside table, Travis pushed his backpack to the side and sat down on the bed opposite Scott. He pulled out one of the syringes and slowly opened the plastic packaging. He was aware of Scott’s eyes on him, but said nothing. Taking out a elastic band, he wrapped it around the top of his arm and tapped his fingers over the inside of his elbow until a bright blue vein popped out from his skin which had been marred with at least a dozen or so other track marks. Slipping the needle into the vein, he pushed the plunger and sent the contents of the syringe into his blood stream, and then tossed it aside. Releasing the elastic band, he looked over to the horrified Scott. “I know. We have a lot to talk about. Do you want to start by asking a question?”

Immediately, Scott stood up and walked away from Travis. “A QUESTION? A QUESTION?” He shook his head and started pacing across the room. “Oh I have a lot of questions.” He stopped for a moment and let out a uncomfortable chuckle. “You know, one minute ago I was ready to pull you right in my arms and thank the gods that you came back to me, but I am not so sure now.” He picked up the discarded syringe and held it up accusingly. “We can start off by you telling me just what the fuck this shit is? You go away for a year and come back a fucking junkie? Goddamn it Travis…what did you get yourself into?” He threw the needle over at Travis, where it missed the bed and fell to the floor at his feet.

Bending down, Travis picked up the syringe and placed it in the garbage bin. He was unusually calm. “It’s not what you think it is.”

“Is it a drug?” Scott interrupted.

“Yes.” Travis answered him, his voice sure and steady.

Furious, Scott clenched his hands into fists. “Then that’s all I need to know. You’re a goddamn drug addict. How long has this been going on? Travis, did you get high on this shit and do something to my daughter? Is that what happened? Be honest and tell the truth. Is that why you came back and she didn't?”

Standing up, Travis approached Scott who was standing near the door, he didn’t step away. Coming to stand right in front of him, Scott could feel the residual heat from the shower on Travis’s damp skin and he was suddenly aware of how warm it was in the tiny hotel room. Reaching out, Travis placed one of his bandaged hands on Scott’s cheek, and almost instantly, Scott calmed down a bit. The fire faded from his eyes and he put his hand over Travis's. “The drug, it’s a neuro inhibitor which prevents brainwaves from being transmitted over a long distance. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to be with you here today.”

Scott took a deep breath. “I don’t understand.”

Taking hold of his hand, Travis gave it a light tug. “You will, if you let me explain. Can you trust me enough to hear me out, or do I have to taze you and tie you up again?” He smiled and said with a straight, serious expression on his face.

Shaking his head, Scott looked at Travis guiltily. “I trust you, I’m sorry about snapping at you like that, I didn’t mean to…”

Travis smiled. “Yes you did.” He led Scott over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Scott hesitated a moment and then joined him. “Yes you did. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re a passionate man who cares about his family. I’d feel exactly the same way.” Travis leaned in and placed a hand alongside of Scott’s face, lightly running his fingers through his thick red beard and then gave him a gentle kiss. “Never stop being who you are, Scott. Not for me, or anyone else.”

Scott leaned in against Travis and lightly rested his hand on his thigh. The plush, white fabric of the towel he was wearing was thick and still damp. It clung to Travis muscles tightly, leaving little to the imagination. “Travis… where is Ember?” He whispered. “I looked everywhere for the two of you. Tell me she's still alive.”

“You did everything you could possibly do, love. Don’t waste a single moment beating yourself up over it.” Travis answered gently. “Ember… isn’t anywhere where you can find her.” He lowered his head a bit. “At least not here on Earth. She was left behind on Prox.”

“Prox! Are you kidding? So… he was telling the truth! How… did she get there?”

“I guess the best way to explain it is to start at the beginning.” Travis took hold of both of Scott’s hands and held them tightly. “What I am about to tell you, you might not fully understand… hell, I am not sure how it all happened, but it’s the truth and you must believe me.”

Scott nodded. “Go on.”

Taking a deep breath, Travis’s fingers entwined with Scott’s. “The night that you left with Thomas…Ember went outside, alone. I fell asleep and she must have wandered out on her own. It could only have been a few minutes, I swear. As soon as I knew she left, I went out to find her, but the fog was so thick, you couldn’t see anything. Eventually I came across a man near the end of the street. Or at least I think he was a man, I can’t quite explain it. Ember calls him the Shepherd, whatever that means. She said that he came and took her away to Prox, because something bad was going to happen and he was saving all the children so that they wouldn’t suffer. He had Ember’s ribbon in his hand. I thought he did something to her and when I approached him… I felt like I was drowning. All the life was sucked right out of me, I can’t quite explain it, but it’s like the feeling when you’ve lost too much blood, and you become lightheaded and dizzy. I couldn’t breathe, my legs wouldn’t support me, everything was going dark. I fell down to the ground and saw him coming for me, then everything went black. When I woke up, I was someplace else. It looked and felt like just the desert at first, but then the monsters came…those terrible beasts who hounded us day and night, wanting to feast on our flesh and devour our souls… we ran, Ember and I, for a long time, eating scraps or insects, drinking disgusting water that we could find pooled up in puddles, basically trying to keep ourselves alive.”

“She was with you then? Ember was with you?” Scott asked curiously. “Why did you leave her behind?”

Travis slipped one of his hands away from Scott’s and rested on top of his. The bandages were now stained copper with dried blood, the wounds had stopped bleeding. He ignored Scott’s direct question and continued on with his story. “We found a few abandoned radio towers with semi working equipment, and we tried to send a signal back home, but if we stayed in one place for too long, those creatures, whatever they were would detect our scent and come track us down. I couldn’t stand the fact of what would happen to Ember of those things got hold of her so I made us keep walking. Endlessly, day and night, I refused to let her rest. She got so weak, we both did… I honestly thought that we were going to die there, alone. I kept asking Ember about the Shepherd, and where he was, where the other children were that he supposedly took, but she never answered me. At that point, it was Ember and myself, we never saw anyone else for months. We were suffering so badly, Scott… and there came a day when I couldn’t carry Ember anymore… I was weak myself… I could hear the growling of those things hot on our heels, tracking us down… I gently laid her down in a cave and watched her sleep. She was so sick, so tired and worn out… I knew what I had to do…” Travis took a deep breath. A single tear escaped his eye and dripped down onto their entwined hands. He couldn’t look up to face Scott as he spoke. He didn’t want to see the look in his eyes as he explained what he was prepared to do to his daughter. “She was my responsibility at that point, I had to do what was for the best… I found a sharp bit of metal… I could make it quick and painless… First her, than me… it would be that easy… Then just as the sun set, I saw something on the horizon… I thought it was a trick brought on by the hunger or something, but the more I looked at it, the more I convinced myself it was real. Something bright red, fluttering on the horizon. I woke up Ember and pointed it out, I asked her if she could see it, and she mumbled something about the Shepherd guiding us, and then passed out again. I scooped her up into my arms and with the last bit of strength I had, I went towards that red color. It was almost dusk, the worst time on Prox, because it’s when all those things come out of hiding. The heat from the sun is too much for them during the day, so they like to hunt at night… but I went for it anyway. Every step I took, my feet sank into the sand, filling my shoes and making it almost impossible to move. I felt as though I was wading through quicksand and sinking fast. As I thought I couldn’t take anymore, and Ember and I were going to die out there in the wasteland, I saw it… A military base. It was enormous. I went up to one of the doors and found that it was all locked, sealed up with electronic readers, I was about to turn away when one of the doors just opened up for me. It recognized me… I… I don’t know how or why but I really didn’t care at that point. We were safe.”

Without a word, Scott wrenched his hands free from Travis and reached out, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into his arms, embracing him tightly. Travis winced a bit, as his bruised body was nearly crushed by the much larger man, but he didn’t care, it felt good to be back in those arms again. He relaxed and took a deep breath, as all the emotions came flooding back from the previous year. He closed his eyes and drowned out the sound of the wind and sand rushing around them, and the terrible whimpers of pain from Ember as she lay in the cave, slowly starving to death. He couldn’t possibly imagine what could be happening to the little girl now, as she was all alone, left on the desolate planet all by herself. Telling Scott that he had to leave her behind was going to be heart breaking, and he was dreading it terribly. Slowly, he pushed himself away from the big man and wiped at his damp eyes. “Scott, please let me finish… I have to get through this.”

Looking him straight in the eyes, Scott asked “Is she still alive?”

Travis held the breath in his lungs, for a long time. He wasn’t sure what to say. “I don’t know… We spent a year there, in that base… there was more than enough food and water for both of us. I found a computer in the basement, and was able to send a message and call for help, someone answered… he was from New West, some type of new organization that claims they are making lives better on Earth through augmented reality and tapping into ‘alternative resources’ whatever that means. They came to get us, to rescue us, but there was a stipulation, that when we got back home, we didn’t speak of New West, or Prox at all, and if we did, that we would be punished. Honestly, at that point, I was willing to do anything because I had to get back home, I had to get Ember back to you. So I agreed. We got on the ship, they explained to us that because Prox was so far away, they were short on fuel and we had to leave immediately or risk not having enough to make it all the way back home. Ember and I were ready to go, but the guy in charge, he told me that they had been trying to find Prox for a long time, and they only recently got the general location because another researcher, Tristan Bell was able to find it.”

“Wait… Tristan Bell, as in Thomas’s father who recently died? That Tristan Bell?” Scott asked.

“The very same.” Travis stood up, walking away from the bed and went toward the window. He didn’t open the closed curtain, merely stood there with his back toward Scott and spoke softly. “Scott… this guy… he broke into Tristan’s lab to find the info on Prox, only he couldn’t locate it. Then Thomas showed up, he discovered the files and ran into the New West guy…” Travis’s shoulders slumped and his voice wavered. “Scott… he murdered Thomas in the lab, just to get the info about Prox… Thomas Bell, our neighbor from next door is dead.”

“No…” Scott whispered. “That can’t be… I just saw him and Lizzie the day before yesterday, they were coming back from the funeral, Thomas wasn’t feeling well and went inside to lay down. Lizzie came home to take care of him. Then the next day, I was talking to someone outside of my house and she rushed over to tell me Thomas was missing. I gave her the car to go looking for him.” He thrust his fist into the mattress in frustration. “Damn it. I knew that I should not have left Dustin distract me like that. I should have gone with her instead.”

Travis turned around quickly. “Dustin?”

“Yeah Dustin Bates. He is an intern for Dr. Weis at the college, he approached me yesterday and told me about the research he was doing, looking for Prox. He showed me video transmissions that supposedly you sent from there, calling for help. He suspected that the two of you were trapped there and were asking for my help to prove that it existed. I didn’t believe him, and blew him off. I Kicked him off my property and told him not to come back. Honestly I thought that it was him who kidnapped me just now… glad it wasn’t though… speaking of which, why did you kidnap me? Couldn’t you just show up at the house and explain this all there?”

Waving his hand, Scott shook his head. “I’ll get to that. That’s not important at the moment.” He pulled a chair out from the desk and sat down, rubbing his fingers against his temples in circles. “I don’t get it… You said Dustin visited you yesterday asking about Prox… but he was there Prox with us just a short time ago and then disappeared after. He was the one sent to retrieve us. When we were on the ship, waiting for take-off, he told me about Thomas and I snapped. How could you possibly have spoken to him just yesterday? Are you sure it was Dustin Bates?”

“Well that’s who he said he was. Scrawny guy, really messed up half shaved spiky hair; looked like he needed a bath, and a shave…wore thick black plastic glasses and talked…. A lot. I know it’s him for certain, I’ve seen him at faculty meetings.”

“Well that certainly sounds like him.” Travis tapped his fingers on the desk anxiously. “The time line doesn’t add up. It seems like things are…skipping. I can’t figure it out, I feel as though we are missing something, a key piece of the puzzle that brings the whole thing together.” He glanced back at Scott, who was still listening intently, hanging on every word. Travis knew he couldn’t put it off any longer, he had to tell him what happened to Ember. “Ember…She got scared when I attacked Dustin and ran off. She…. She left the ship, and the doors sealed up behind her. There was no way of getting in or out. It is my fault she’s not here… if I hadn’t lost my temper and attacked that piece of shit, when he admitted he murdered Thomas, she wouldn’t have bolted. Scott…I couldn’t just let him get away with it, not after sitting across from me and talking about it so casually like it was part of his daily shopping trip. He didn’t care that he took an innocent life and I flew off the handle. I overreacted. That’s your first answer… sorry I took so long getting to it. Ember isn’t here because she’s still on Prox. We left her there. I wish I had a better explanation for you, I wish that everything fell into place and made perfect sense, but it doesn’t. All I can tell you is the truth, even if I don’t understand any of it now.”

Scott flopped back down on the bed. He felt like his stomach was being ripped apart from the inside. “So, she is there, alone?

“Yes. She kept saying that the Shepherd brought the other children to Prox, and he was looking after them but I just don’t know.” Travis mumbled. “I… I… never saw another living person while we were there on Prox. It was always just the two of us. I’d almost believe that she was making up this Shepherd person, but I saw him myself back on Earth, for a brief moment. Whoever, or whatever he is, Ember seems to believe in him. Scott, you have to believe me when I tell you that I tried everything I could to keep her safe. I know that she’s your daughter and all, but in the time that past up there, on Prox, the two of us, we became more than just friends… she made me feel like I really belonged in her life, and I had hoped that when we would be rescued, we could come back here and be a real family. If there was a way that I could have switched places with her, I would gladly have done it. Right now, I feel terrible for what happened, and leaving her behind was like leaving part of myself there too, I can’t ever imagine what you must be feeling right now. I could sit here and tell you I am sorry over and over again, but I know that words won’t make her come back, or take away your pain.”

Sitting silently for a few moments, Scott waited for the pain in his stomach to go away. It was replaced with a numb sensation that felt even worse. He turned back to Travis. “Finish your story. I want to hear the rest of it. What happened after you left her?”

Shoving his feelings aside, Travis continued, grateful that Scott didn’t want to hear more about Ember being abandoned, at least not for the moment. There was only so much he could mentally handle. “I went back to where Dustin was on the ship. He was in bad shape, but alive. We didn’t say anything to each other for the entire trip. I wanted to kill him, I really did, but I knew that he was being used as a pawn too, and it wasn’t him who gave the command to leave Prox. He’s a joke, but I knew that he might be useful later. A few hours in, I became incredibly sleepy, I don’t know if it was the change in atmospheric pressure, or if they drugged us but I couldn’t help but to nod off. I can’t be sure what happened after that but eventually I woke up and we were landing. Dustin was still sitting in the exact same spot he was when I fell asleep. I don’t think he even moved an inch during the whole trip. He was completely out of it. After the ship landed, men from New West came and dragged me out like I was some sort of criminal. They took Dustin away too. He didn’t put up a struggle or anything; he let them take him away. I saw the look in his eyes as they collected him. There was nothing there. It was like he was dead inside. I could have been looking at a corpse and not even know the difference. I think that something in his head finally snapped. That was the last time that I saw him. They put me in a cell for countless hours. No windows or light, I don’t know how long I was in there, but eventually they came and got me, brought me into a dark room with another New West person, a young woman with long white hair in a ponytail at the base of her neck, and strange violet eyes. Her clothes weren’t like the rest of the New West members, she didn’t wear a lab coat or anything, just casual everyday clothing. She didn’t seem to fit in at all, but everyone answered to her. She couldn’t have been more than 25 years old, but carried herself with such confidence that she could have been much older. She told me that I had to forget everything that I had seen, everything about New West, Prox, everything. I refused. Ember was there, there was no way that I would just drop it and forget it all. I told her that I would go to the authorities and tell them everything about what happened. I would personally see to it that New West was exposed for whatever the fuck they were doing. I didn’t exactly know what they were up to, only that they were covering up murders so part of my accusation was nothing more than a bluff. I tried to strike a bargain with them, that they would send me back so I can get Ember, or else the world would know about them. They wouldn’t go for it. They beat me to within a inch of my life. I still refused. I wanted to go back and get Ember, so to shut me up and make me forget, they beat me again. I don’t know how long this went on, but I remember laying in that cold and dark cell, trying to find a way out of there to get Ember back, praying that I’d stay alive long enough. I never gave up hope. They came back again, only this time, they forced me onto a gurney and strapped me down. They wheeled me into a operating room, and told me that they were going to implant something into my head so that I’d obey and then instantly sedated me.” Travis stopped for a moment and sat up, away from the desk and gently tapped the side of his temple. “It’s there, just underneath the skin, three very small implants. It’s how they can track me, and make me do whatever they want. They can even fuck with your reality, show you things, make you think that you are someplace else and talking to someone you know, when it fact it’s all a illusion. It’s how they are controlling people. I became their puppet. They put a story in my head…” Travis looked over at Scott, his eyes completely full of tears now. “They made me believe that I kidnapped Ember… I did things to her… terrible things… I hurt her… oh god, I can’t explain it… no… I refuse to… her blood was everywhere…. And I felt…. It felt so good… fucking hell… I couldn’t control what I was feeling because THEY made me like it!” Sobbing, Travis stopped, shaking violently, completely unable to go on. “I WOULD NEVER HURT HER!”

Grabbing a blanket off the bed, Scott hurried over to Travis and draped it over his shoulders, wrapping it around his strong, but badly beaten body. “Shh… don’t say anything else. I get it. I understand. Love, it never happened. I believe you, I always have… I apologize for doubting you earlier now, I feel like complete shit, but hey, I know you, and trust you. Wherever she is, I bet she’s safe.” Pulling Travis’s back against his chest, Scott embraced him, trying his best to comfort the man that he loved. In a way, it was a lie. He couldn’t imagine what he had been through, or the terrible memories that were implanted, but he knew that now was the time that he had to be strong, not just for himself, but for Travis and Ember, they were both counting on him now. Ember was so far away, and Travis was now emotionally scarred, so he had to step up and take control.

“I need to finish the story. I need to get this all off my chest.” Travis whimpered.

Scott tightened his grip over Travis’s chest. The blanket between them was warm and soft. “I’m not going anywhere, I am listening.”

“I don’t know why they did this to me, why they just didn’t outright kill me, I was gone for over a year, so why not just murder me and get rid of the body, no one would ever know. Then the morning I was released, I found out. The white haired woman came into my cell, it was the same one who I met when I first got back to Earth. She brought me that backpack and gave me a shot. The moment the drug hit my system, my head cleared up and all those false memories just vanished. She explained that the medicine could block the signal from the implant for a short amount of time. It scrambles the nervous system and they can’t read it, but there's a time limit on it. If I want too long to take the next injection, the upload link kicks in again and everything comes rushing back. The backpack is filled with syringes, enough to keep me mentally stable for a while. I was going to be released, because they thought they had fucked up my head enough that I wouldn’t remember them. I think that they actually thought I might even kill myself because of the guilt I felt over what I had done to Ember. If that was the case, then it would be a easy way to wash their hands of me, and have the perfect explanation for my death. She gave me the contact number for a surgeon, someone named Marko Sarresto who could remove the implants safely. I was to seek him out and expose New West. I agreed, because honestly, what else could I do? I asked her why she was helping me, and she explained that she was only working with New West because she had to, it wasn’t by her choice that she was there. She was just trying to make the best out of a bad situation. I pressed her for more information, but she wouldn’t give it. She did tell me that I was an experiment, a Guinea pig for the implant, meant to be sent out to the world to see what would happen. Her compassion for mankind made her intervene, and she decided to help me. So with her assistance, I got out of there. They put me in a car and drove me to the edge of town. When we arrived the driver got out and told me I was on my own. I knew that I had to come find you, but with everything that happened, I couldn’t just walk in the front door and start explaining things. The only thing I could come up with was to make it look like a abduction. This way, if anyone in town caught sight of me, they wouldn’t know who it was, and the last thing I wanted was for people to know I was back. They talk, ya know? So to keep my identity safe, but still get to you, I decided to stage this all, this way it’s easier for you to go back… if you want.”

“What do you mean, ‘go back’?”

“To your life. To your home. Anything but this.” Travis said, his voice kept very hushed and low.

“You are my home, and my life. We fought so hard for what we had, I am not willing to give it up so easily. What we are going to do is get Ember back, so we can be a family again. I don’t care what we have to do, but we ARE going to find a way to Prox, even if we have to bust in the front door to New West, and demand they take us there. If they don’t listen, then we find Dustin Bates and make him show us how to get there. He’s got a lot to answer for. One way or the other we are going to get her back…but the first thing that we are going to do is find this doctor so that we can get your head straightened out. Got it?” Scott swung the swivel desk chair that Travis was sitting on around so that they were face to face.

Travis managed a small smile. It was hard for him to admit to himself that it was that easy, that everything was going to be okay. Things just didn’t work out that way. “That’s all well and nice, but aren’t you afraid that I might turn on you? What if I miss a dose of that drug and become their puppet again? I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

Scott let the blanket between them drop down. He eased himself forward, and kissed Travis passionately, who promptly responded by slipping his arms around Scott’s body and around his back. He closed his eyes and relaxed once again in Scott’s strong arms. The kiss was warm and comforting, filled with a years’ worth of missed opportunities, fading memories and pure longing for one another. The stiff facial hair from Scott’s beard brushed up against the skin of Travis’s smoothly shaven face, and a tingle of excitement went down his spine. He whispered to Scott. “If we are going to do this, then I better get dressed.”

Reaching down, Scott curled his fingers around the damp towel that was wrapped around Travis’s slender hips, pulling it away in one swift motion. His beaten and bruised nude body stood there, pressed against Scott’s soft and warm frame, and he found himself unashamed. Scott led him back towards the bed. “I was thinking that if we were going to do this, you don’t need to get dressed.” He whispered.

Travis started to unbutton the front of Scott’s shirt. “I don’t think we are talking about the same thing.”

Gliding his fingers along the purple bruises of Travis's body, teasing him with tender touches and caresses, Scott smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’ve waited for you for such a long time, I thought about you, and Ember every single day. What we are about to do might get us killed… I just want to be with you again, it might be the last time that we get to share a moment like this. Let me have this night to be with you, Travis.”

He looked up at Scott and their eyes met, and the endless nights of loneliness all melted away like ice on a hot summer day. “You have my heart and soul, Scott. You can have anything else that you want, as long as you promise to never stop loving me.” Travis whispered.

“I promise.”

Tristan Bell’s lab workshop was dark and freezing cold. The hard concrete floor which Thomas lay on, slowly bleeding to death was cruel and uncomfortable. He always pictured himself growing old and gray with Lizzie and their family; not this, not dying utterly alone, a victim of some random robbery, pointless and pathetic. It seemed to be some cruel joke, or twist of fate that this would happen to him, so soon after his father dying. Perhaps it was karma’s way of giving him the finger, since he had begged Lizzie to come home and stay with him, which she did, but he got up and left her in the middle of the night, just to be lured to his own demise. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t avoid the fact that he was going to die, right here, right now without anyone knowing.

Using the light from his cell phone, he managed to pull himself up against the brick wall behind the desk and into a semi sitting position. It wasn’t the most convenient place to be, but when they found his body, he didn’t want to be flat out on the floor; he wanted a little bit of decency. Glancing down at his chest, he could see that both of his hands which he had tried to use to slow the bleeding down were covered in blood, red and slick. With each beat of his heart more and more blood flowed out though the gaps in his fingers, and he was powerless to stop it. Accepting his fate, he picked up his cellphone once more, cursing at the no signal icon and opened the camera. He wanted to record a goodbye for Lizzie and Tristan. There was no way he could die without knowing how much they meant to him. Taking a moment to compose the shot so that as little gore could be in the frame as possible, he hit the record button, and found himself at a loss for words. There was so much he wanted to say and yet he couldn’t get a single word out. He stared at his own gruesome reflection on the screen for long moments, completely consumed by his emotions. “FUCK!” Thomas shouted and tossed the phone away from him. It clattered loudly as it rattled over the shadow filled floor and came to a stop in front of the feet of a man. “Jesus Christ!” Thomas cursed as the room suddenly started to light up with a soothing amber glow. Even though there was light, it was hard to make out the features of the man. All he could see was that he was wearing a fitted suit, and had a air of elegance around him.

A brief image flashed through his brain. It was a man he didn’t know standing at a window that looked out to a strange, barren landscape, turning around to face him as he returned from a mission. “Is it done?” The man at the window asked.

Thomas replied. “Yes. I didn’t think we were going to make it back, the carnivores were on our tail every step of the way, but we made it. Dustin Bates is now safe. The medical team is working on him right now. I don’t know how much longer he’s going to last, but for the moment, he’s alive… I found him and brought him back, just like you ordered me to.”

“No.” The other man answered, drawing Thomas into his arms. He melted in the passionate embrace. “I didn’t order you to go, Thomas. I asked you… I would never make you do anything that you don’t want to. There is always a choice.” The tall man brought his lips over Thomas’s. He was filled with ecstasy and pride. They kissed and the vision faded out of his head like smoke in the air.

“What? No. Wait, what was that?” Thomas asked, confused. “That was me but… the other person…” He looked at the man standing in the dark room. “Was that you?”

The man casually strolled over to the corner where Thomas was sitting and pulled out a chair, taking a seat on it in front of him and crossed his legs. “Rumor has it that when you die, some images of your life flash before you.” The man said, his voice was like velvet when he spoke. “That is, if you believe in such things.”

Thomas started to cough violently, bringing up blood from his lungs, speckling his lips with the bright red color. “That wasn’t my memory. I don’t know you; I’ve never seen you before.”

“People leave strange little memories of themselves behind when they die.” The man said, staring intently into Thomas’s eyes. “And I can safely say that I am certain that you are dying, Thomas Bell. As a matter of fact, you only have a few moments left, which is indeed unfortunate, because I know you, I’ve seen everything you’ve gone through and I know for a fact that you do not deserve this death… nor any of the other ones for that matter.”

“I am hallucinating. This is a dream, just go and let me die in peace.”

“Not quite yet, Thomas.” The man said sweetly. “As long as you remain here with me, in my presence death cannot take you, but once I leave, you will as well.” He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward on the chair peering down at him on the floor. “I know that you have a family. Lizzie, and Tristan, you love them dearly, don’t you? And you would give anything to see them one more time. To see Lizzie’s bright blue eyes smiling at you, her hair tied up in flowers and ribbons dancing in the warm summer wind as your young son Tristan blows bubbles that get carried away on the breeze… wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

“Nothing is more important to me than my family. I’d sacrifice anything for them.” Noticing that the intense pain and the bleeding from his chest had stopped, Thomas sat up against the wall a little higher, straightening himself up and sighed. “It would be nice, but Lizzie is probably furious with me now, and Tristan… well he’s not been well. He’s in a coma. The doctors say that there isn’t anything medically wrong with him, he’s just not responding. It’s like his body is there but his soul isn’t. So there’s no way you could give me the things you’ve promised.” Thomas looked closer at the man in front of him, and noticed how the shadows clung heavily around him, circling and swirling, almost like pets. “But somehow I suspect you know all that already...What are you anyway?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Does it really matter? Angel or demon, is it necessary to categorize everything?”

Thomas scoffed loudly and immediately regretted it. He didn’t mean to challenge the man, it just slipped out. “Like you said, I am dying. I’ll be dead in minutes; you are the only thing keeping me alive, so why not tell me who or what you are. It’s not like I can go around bragging that I was visited by an angel or something. My father used to tell me that when we saw something that we didn’t comprehend, then it was our duty as scientists to do our best to understand it, look at it from every angle until we knew what we were dealing with. Only then could we truly appreciate what it really is. So I ask you again, sir… who or what are you?”

Grinning from ear to ear, the man sighed. “Always wanting to learn, right down to your dying breath, you are the quintessential man of science and knowledge. This is one of the reasons why I loved you so much Thomas.” He paused for a moment, enjoying the look of shock of Thomas’s face. “That's right, the memory you have seen, was another life, a long time ago. I loved you then, as you loved me, but it was only for a short time. Things changed, we changed. I think that it was something that could have been, if things went differently.” The man's eyes fell away from him for a moment and into the darkness beyond. “I believe that we make our own path in this world, we choose our own fate, and the choices I have made took everyone away from me. I lost everything that I had ever cared for, and all for what... the chance to put things right? To save the world?” He took a long, deep breath and turned his attention back toward Thomas. “It would seem that everyone is remembering more now that I am becoming weaker. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. I’m the Shepherd of the Damned, at least that’s what I’ve been called. I prefer Benjamin. What I exactly am, even I don’t know, but I watch over things to be sure that the balance is kept. That’s the easiest way to explain it. I once held the power of life and death in my hands, but sadly things have happened that have drained me, and I am helpless to stop it all from happening. Small changes, that’s all I can do.”

A wistful look appeared on Thomas’s face. “Small things can bring about big changes though. I mean… just look at what happened to me tonight. I thought that I would slip away for an hour or two while Lizzie slept and check out the lab. I’d be back before she even knew I was gone, and look at me now. Sitting here with you, bleeding to death… One small choice made and I am never going to see my family again. I’ve lost everything just as you have.”

The Shepherd cocked his head to the side. “Is being here with me really that bad?”

Thomas smiled. “No… I think I kind of like talking to you. For some odd reason, I feel comforted now that you are here. It’s much better than dying alone I suppose. I can’t quite say for sure why, but having you here makes me feel peaceful… if it wasn’t for the fact that I am going to regret not having the chance to tell my son and wife goodbye, I’d almost be okay with accepting my fate now and dying… but maybe it’s for the best, Lizzie knows that I love her… and Tristan… I can’t be sure that he can hear anything in the coma.” Thomas slammed his hand against the cold floor. “Damn it… I would give up my own life for him to be well again. It’s not fair. He has so much to live for… and Lizzie, she would be lost without him.”

“Is that so?” Ben asked curiously.

“Yeah, but nothing can change that, right Benjamin? He’s lost to me and the entire world. He will never have the chance to have a life, a family…” Thomas’s voice trailed off.

Benjamin glanced at his cigarette, obviously disappointed in it and crushed it out on the arm of the chair, or was it more like disappointment in the question. Thomas wasn’t sure which. “Thomas Bell...I lost everything. I lost everyone. You took me in, and gave me shelter and a new life. You showed me that it was possible to love again. A lot of things changed, and both of our paths went separate ways, but I still had love for you in my heart. I saw the precious person that you were, and still are for that matter. If you hadn’t taken me in, I would have given up and just faded into nothingness. I know you have no idea what I am talking about, but I assure you, every word I said is true. I’ll look after your family, Thomas. I shall see to it that no harm comes to your son. This promise I make to you, in return for all you had done for me a lifetime ago. You were all I had left.”

Using the cleanest edge of his sleeve, Thomas wiped at his eyes. He was overcome with emotion. “I don’t know what to say. No one else has ever said things like that about me. I just try my best, you know, to be a good person. Thank you for making a dying man feel like his life was worthwhile.”

“Don’t thank me, I don’t deserve such praise.” The Shepherd stood up from his chair and took a step closer to Thomas. He pulled his shoulders back and massive black wings erupted in a flurry of feathers from behind him.

Thomas looked on in awe. “You’re going to take me now, aren’t you?” Benjamin remained silent. He didn’t need to answer Thomas’s question. The look in his eyes was more than enough. “Wait… please…I thought I had to help you save the world or whatever, you said I could go back to Lizzie and Tristan.” The expression on his face changed to one of panic. “Don’t I get a chance to make a deal with the devil then or whatever? Isn’t it my turn to sacrifice something?” The Shepherd gazed upon him, his gray green eyes shimmering in the dim light, and the shadows swirling faster now. The lab was deathly quiet, and the wound in Thomas’s chest started to bleed again. The blood oozed out from between his fingertips and his face went ashen white. He glanced up from the bloody mess to Benjamin. “Please…This can’t be the end… I can’t die now… Damn it… why did you come here, if not to save me, than just to watch me die?”

The Shepherd knelt down in the pool of blood and took hold of Thomas’s blood stained hand. “I am sorry, but I must. I cannot give a life to someone without taking one. When I felt you dying, I knew I had to come and take you myself. I owe you that much. You are family.” Holding onto his hand, Benjamin gently kissed the back of it, and Thomas felt warmth spread through his entire body. He reached out and pushed a few of the curls of hair away from his forehead. “As we talked, I realized that there is a greater gift that I can give you, other than your life back…”

“I don't want to go, Ben. I am begging you, let me stay.” Thomas whispered through clenched tight with pain.

Benjamin slid his arms underneath Thomas’s body and lifted him up, slowly rising to his feet. Thomas could feel the soft feathery wings wrap around him, blanketing him gently. The amber illumination that filled the room started to fade, and he held onto Benjamin tightly. “Close your eyes, Thomas, don’t fight it.” Bringing his wings completely around his body, the shadows lifted up from their place at his feet and joined those voluptuous black wings, taking away the last bit of light from the room. The Shepherd of the Damned and Thomas vanished.

The engine of Lizzie’s borrowed car roared loudly as she pushed the accelerator down as far as it could go. Ignoring the loud honks and vicious shouts by the other drivers as she zoomed by them, she hurried to her destination, not worried about them at all. Since the Shepherd had left her, she had cried, over and over in the car, screaming and cursing his name repeatedly. Her small fingers wrapped around the steering wheel so tightly that she thought her bones were going to break. It wasn’t fair for him to have given her such a choice, it was such a cruel and a terrible thing to do. As she drove, she kept dialing two numbers on her cell phone, Selene and Thomas. Neither of them would answer. Around the 50th or so call, Lizzie became incredibly frustrated and tossed the phone across the car. It hit the passenger side door and cracked instantly. Distracted by the sound of the screen shattering, Lizzie took her eyes off the road for a moment to see the damage that she had done, and then felt the car start to veer. Turning her attention back to the road, her eyes went wide, and she plunged her foot onto the brake, but it was too late. There was a loud crash, and the distinct sound of broken glass as her body went flying towards the steering wheel. The airbag deployed, and her upper body sank into it, as the vehicle came to a jolting stop as it collided with a tree on the opposite side of the road. Everything went dark.

A child’s voice was speaking to her. A familiar voice. “Mommy… mommy.”

“Tristan, baby… is that you, where are you?” She asked into the darkness.

“I’m somewhere safe, mommy, but you aren’t. Someone bad is coming. You have to wake up and run away before they get you.”

“Wake up?” Lizzie asked groggily. Silence. Moaning, she slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see the bright light of daylight, but there was none. It was night. She had been unconscious all day. Wincing, she leaned back in the wreckage of the car and pushed the deflated airbag out of her way, and noticed some blood on it. Gingerly, she reached up and found a laceration on the side of her face. It wasn't bad, but enough to give her a really bad headache and possibly a concussion. Taking a deep breath, she let her nursing instincts kick in and started to check for any other possible injuries. Both feet and legs could move, no pain, her hips and back seemed to be in order, and both of her arms were okay. Slamming head into a tree had only given her a slight cut on the head and a nasty ringing in her ears. Satisfied that she was intact, Lizzie pushed the door open and stumbled out. The car had come to stop a few feet off the road, down a embankment, hidden from view from the highway. There was a dirt ditch that she would have to climb up if she was going to get out of there. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the car. The front end was completely mangled, wrapped around a pine tree with wisps of steam coming up from the engine, a sure sign of a cracked radiator. Scott was going to be furious. Making her way around to the passenger side, she pulled the door open and found her cell phone. The screen was cracked and the battery was only at 3% but it still worked. Only enough juice to make one call. Thomas, Selene, Scott, she couldn’t decide which. Something was going on and no one was answering, and that made her nervous. What if she used the remaining battery to call one of them and they still didn’t answer, it would be a complete waste. Cursing loudly, Lizzie hit the emergency services number instead and waited for the call to connect. As she waited, she looked around at the woods near her. The trees, the winding path through them, the sound of running water off in the distance… she knew where she was. “Holy shit!” The call connected and the operator came on, asking for information. Lizzie hit the end call button and started to walk away from the car, as the phone went dark, it's battery completely drained.

It only took her a few minutes before she appeared at Tristan's lab. Stepping out of the woods and onto the dirt path, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have ended up here. She could get inside, and use the phone to call for help. All she had to do was get in. Approaching the door, she hesitated, noticing that it was left slightly ajar. A sense of dread crept over her. She knew that Selene would have seen to it that her husband's lab was locked up tightly. There were far too many computers and expensive equipment in there to just leave the door unlocked every night, much less have it left slightly open. Turning around, she looked down at the ground and saw fresh tire tracks leading off in the opposite direction. Curiosity got the best of her and walking away from the lab, she followed them into the darkness a few feet and much to her surprise, she found Thomas's car stashed away in a grove of trees. Making her way over to the driver's side door, she pulled on the handle and saw that it opened easily, and the keys were left inside. “Thomas, what are you up to?” She whispered into the cool night air. Grabbing the keys from the ignition, she went around to the back of the car and pulled out a flashlight, switching it on and flooding the area with light. She had to go into the lab, because that's the only place that her husband could be. Maybe he went to retrieve something, or just felt like he wanted to spend time there after missing his father's funeral. Lizzie knew from experience working in the hospital that people do strange things after losing someone. Grief had a way of making the most sane man insane.

Returning to the lab, Lizzie slowly pushed the door open and held up the light into the darkness. It washed over the rows of computers and tables all lined up neatly in the center of the room. “Hello?” She called out loudly, but there was no answer. Taking a few steps in, she spun the light around, looking in every direction, at all the equipment, but nothing seemed disturbed. Spotting a land line phone on one of the tables, she rushed over to it and dialed Thomas's cell number. She tapped her foot on the floor nervously, waiting for the call to connect. It seemed like it was taking forever for the call to go through. Finally it connected, and over in the far corner of the room, there was a bright flash and the distinct chime of her husband's cell. The phone receiver slowly dropped out of her hand, and Lizzie stared off in the direction of the light dumbfounded. It was definitely his phone, but why would it be thrown in a corner, discarded.

Slowly making her way through the lab with tiny, unsure footsteps, Lizzie stopped a few feet away from the old antique desk which Tristan use for writing notes. The light from the phone seemed to come from the floor on the other side. Summoning all her courage, Lizzie gripped the flashlight tightly in her shaking hand and rounded the corner of the desk, her eyes fixed and focused on that tiny pulsing light on the other side. As she drew near with cautious steps, her foot stepped in something slippery and thick, and she found herself falling down to the floor. Not being able to catch herself in time, Lizzie hit the floor with a loud thump, landing on her rear, the flashlight rolling underneath the desk. As she hit, her hands went out to her sides, and slid into the vicious liquid that was spread out all over the floor. It was still warm and incredibly thick. No not thick... coagulating. Reaching out, her slender fingers managed to get hold of the flashlight, and she held it down to see what she had fallen in. A startled scream escaped her lips. She was sitting in fresh blood. Immediately, she scrambled to her feet, slipping a few more times before finally getting her footing underneath her. Lunging forward, she snatched Thomas's cell phone and hurried away from the corner, disgusted and sick.

Finding refuge in a corner in the far end of the room, Lizzie started sobbing. She was covered in blood, and she feared the worst. What if it was Thomas's blood? It had to be. There was so much of it spilled out all over the floor, whomever it belonged to was probably not alive. How did it happen... with that amount of blood loss, the only logical explanation would be a perfectly aimed gunshot. Swallowing back the sick in her throat, Lizzie held the flashlight up to the wall behind the desk, and immediately turned away, vomiting. When she was finished, she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and looked over again, just to be sure she saw what she thought she saw. The blood splatter marks were there. The bullet must have been fired at a very close range for that kind of damage. It entered the person's body with such force that it blew right through, exploding in a gruesome mess of blood and tissue on the far wall, where it now hung there and dripped down as a grim reminder of the crime. Lizzie couldn't stop shaking. It had to be Thomas; why else would his cellphone be there?

With trembling hands, she unlocked the cell phone. She didn't know who she was going to call, she just needed to talk to someone, anyone to calm her down. As the phone lit up, she noticed that it was on video mode. Thomas had been recording something. Fumbling her way through the phone's menu, she found the gallery. The first thing that she noticed was were the hundreds of thumbnails photos of her and of Tristan that Thomas had taken. There were so many, he never deleted a single one. This brought a small smile to Lizzie's face. Moving into the videos folder, she found the most recent video and loaded it. It was Thomas, looking ragged and pale, sitting in the exact same spot in the corner where the blood splatter was dripping down. Lizzie was right, something did happen to him. She gently touched the screen. “Oh Thomas, what happened to you? Where are you? I need to know.” The video kept playing, Lizzie waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. Confused, she continued to watch as he looked on, staring into the camera, trying to find words, when suddenly he was distracted by the sound of footsteps. The angle of the camera changed as Thomas tossed the cellphone down on the floor, and started speaking to someone. The video kept recording, as their muffled conversation went on, and Lizzie found herself clutching the phone tighter, wishing that she could hear what was being said. She glanced down at the time progression bar, the video was almost over and there was no clues that could help her find her husband. Then at the very last second, she saw him. Almost dropping the phone in shock, she kept repeating “No” over and over and over. Then the video ended. Quickly, she re-winded the clip and watched it again. Right at the end, there he was, the Shepherd of the Damned. He let Thomas die his arms and then carried his body away. “You bastard! You fucking lied to me! You motherfucking son of a bitch! I am going to find you and fucking kill you for what you’ve done. You could have saved him… you could have saved him!!!!!!” Letting out a loud scream, Lizzie gripped the flashlight and threw it full force across the room, where the bulb shattered and she was plunged into darkness, but she wasn’t alone. Her shoulders hunched forward, her neck turned sharply to the side, and she started to laugh.

Brock pulled out a chair in front of Selene's desk and took a seat. Every muscle in his body ached and the throbbing pain in his head felt like it was getting worse. All he wanted to do was collect Siobhan and go home for some much needed rest. The nightmares would probably come back, but at this rate, he was more than willing to deal with them, as long as it meant he would get a bit of sleep in. Yawning, he looked down at the swirling, murky depths of the coffee that he had retrieved out of the vending machine and silently wondered how this beverage could even be considered coffee? It was nothing more than colored water with a few bits of coffee grounds floating around on the top in a grim mockery of the morning beverage.

Selene took her seat at the desk across from him. “Don't say I didn't warn you about that. You're better off just going down to the cafeteria and getting some dirty dishwater and drinking that. At least with that, you know what's in it.” She chuckled.

Sitting the paper coffee cup down on the corner of the desk, Brock shook his head. “On second thought, I will pass. Thanks for the drink though.”

“Brock, I didn't buy you a coffee just to be nice. I needed to get you in here, off the hospital floor for a reason.” Selene stood up and pulled the office door shut tightly and then returned to her seat. “I need to know about these night terrors that you've been having. And don't lie to me and tell me that you're not having them, because I know things, and I know for a fact that they are causing you problems. I don't care about whatever story you and the girl made up tonight when you came in here, I am not going to turn you into the cops. I will tell you, however, that there is more to your lucid dreams than you know, and there are others, worse than the police in this hospital who are interested in them, and you.”

“I really can't help you with that.” Brock rested his elbow on the armrest of the chair and leaned his head on it. The headache was getting worse. “It's not that I don't want to help you, it's that I can't ever remember any of them. They aren't like ordinary dreams that you can remember when you first wake up and can take a moment to write down, these are different...”

Selene leaned forward, listening anxiously. “Different, how?”

Closing his eyes, Brock tried to ignore the blinding lights of the overhead fluorescent bulbs, and the annoying tone of the intercom as it rang out in the hall periodically. It was hard to concentrate. “Like, they aren't dreams, but experiences. They don't just feel real, they are real. I can't remember what happened in them, but I can recall feelings.” He started to slump forward slightly in the chair, his face becoming white and flushed.

“What kind of feelings?” Selene asked. Seeing Brock's posture, she walked over and sat on the chair next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Hey are you feeling alright?”

Brock shook his head. “No, not really. This terrible headache just hit me all at once. I was fine one moment and now, I feel like my head is splitting.” Opening his eyes, he leaned his head back and heard Selene let out a gasp. Blood was pouring out of his nose at a alarming rate.

Hurrying back across the desk, Selene yanked some tissues out of a box and shoved them into Brock's hand. “Here, use these.” As he balled them up and held them over his face, Selene took hold of his wrist and took a pulse reading. “Holy crow, you’re pulse is higher than a marathon runner. Brock, this isn't normal. I know you are worried about your girl, but I think that you need to let me admit you. There is a private wing here; it's for staff members and a few select family members. I'd like to run some tests, just to make sure everything is alright. You look terrible, and I think that it's best that you've kept for observation. This way I can monitor you for those night terrors as well. No one will know that you are here. You will be under my personal care. I can take care of you and make sure that both you and Siobhan are safe.”

Before he could answer, Selene's cell phone started to ring. She hastily snatched it off her desk, and glanced at the caller. From Brock's vantage point, he could see that it was some strange foreign name. “Fucking hell, not now.” Selene snapped and sent the caller to voicemail. “Brock, look at me. I am on your side here. I want to help you, so please let me help you.”

Glancing at Selene over the ball of blood soaked tissues, Brock nodded. “Alright but what about Siobhan, she's in surgery now and will be looking for me when she gets out. You said we were in danger here, I want to make sure that someone is there for her too.”

“Don't worry. I will get you in a room and go check on her ASAP. She's probably not even finished yet, it takes them a while to set a bone and get it in a cast. You're the one who needs help now, so don't fret over her. She's safe, I assure you.” Selene stood up and took hold of Brock's arm, guiding him to his feet. “Stand up, slowly now. That's it. We're going to walk to the end of the hall to go to the private wing. Do you think you can make it or shall I get a wheelchair?”

“No. I'll be fine, just give me a moment.”

Selene was still holding onto Brock's arm when the door to her office flew open and a young girl stood there, looking into the room curiously. “What the hell do you want? Don't you know this is a private office, and I am with a patient?” Irritated to no end, she was about to scold the wide eyed nurse who barged in without knocking until she saw the look on her face. “What’s wrong? This better be good or else you’re going to get written up for this interruption.”

“Mrs. Bell. It's your grandson, Tristan... he's... “The nurse stopped. Her eyes set on Brock, his nose still oozing blood. She started looking woozy herself.

Selene's heart raced. “He's what? What's wrong with him?”

The nurse bit her bottom lip. “Um, it's hard to explain. I think you just better come see.”

“Oh for fuck sake!” Selene looked over at Brock, who seemed to be getting worse. His already pale color was becoming almost translucent, and he seemed to be incoherent. She motioned for the nurse to come over to her. “Here, take care of him, take him to the private room 101 and stay there with him. Do not let him leave or let anyone else take care of him. Make him comfortable and keep an eye on him until I get back. Do you understand?”

The nurse hurried over and slipped Brock's arm over her small shoulders. “Yes. I got it.”

Rushing out the door and down the hall, Selene's heart pounded. She hated and despised the young interns who could never keep it together or perform well during a emergency. If Tristan was in danger, they should have paged her to the room immediately, and given her a full run down of all the symptoms, not bulldoze themselves into a private office and make some vague remark that offered no help whatsoever. Making a metal note to have a meeting with all the interns, Selene soon found herself in the pediatric wing of the hospital. There was a small crowd of doctors and nurses both gathered near the end, staring up to the opposite end of the corridor, their mouths hung open, slack jawed. Pushing her way through them, annoyed that she couldn't get into Tristan's room, she managed to get through the mass of bodies, only to stop dead in her tracks, her eyes focused on the man at the end of the hall, who was holding the body of her grandson. The Shepherd of the damned had Tristan.

“What the hell are you doing with him?” Selene shouted. She couldn't understand why no one approached or challenged a stranger that was potentially kidnapping her grandson. “That boy is in a coma. He needs medical attention. Take him back to his bed and get the hell out of here or else I will call security on you.”

The Shepherd looked down to the unconscious boy in his arms. “He's not sick. He's just sleeping.” He said in a deep, strong voice that seemed to resonate right in Selene's head. “I made a promise to his father that I would take care of him. So I shall.”

“Thomas?” Selene scoffed. “Thomas would NEVER allow a stranger anywhere near his child, and neither would Lizzie. That child has been in a coma for a long time now, and his heath is very fragile. Every moment you keep him off those machines is a moment closer to death for him. I am not only is grandmother, but I am also his doctor. I know the difference between a coma and just being asleep.” The tension in the air was rising, and Selene's patience was quickly slipping away. Sir, I don't know you, and I don't know why you chose to come in here and take a sick boy off his life support systems, but what you are about to do is a crime. Now, please.. before anyone gets hurt, take him back to his bed so we can be done with this.”

Cradling Tristan's small body in one arm, the Shepherd reached down and gently moved a stray curl of hair away from his eyes, just like he had done for his father earlier. Then, much to everyone's surprise, he bent down and gently laid his lips on the boy's forehead, giving the child a delicate kiss. Selene leaned over to one of the nurses and whispered. “Get security in here right fucking now.” The nurse ran off to the nurse’s station and grabbed the nearest phone. The tension in the opposite ends of the corridor was heavy and thick. No one was willing to make a move. Silence filled the air, time stood still. Then it happened, Tristan let out a big yawn and his eyes fluttered open. He looked up to the Shepherd and smiled.

“How.. how did you do that?” Selene asked, completely shocked. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

“You're a mother. You should know how to wake up a sleeping child, Selene Bell.” The Shepherd replied, calm and gentle.

Ignoring the chattering of the staff behind her, Selene took a step forward. “I don't care how you did it. I am grateful. Thomas and Lizzie are going to be so happy that their little boy is coming home. I can't wait to tell them.” She extended her arms toward him. “Tristan, honey. Come to Grammy Selene now.”

Tristan looked at Selene and then at the Shepherd. The Shepherd smiled down at him and Tristan turned away from his grandmother and buried his face in the soft folds of his black jacket. “No.” He whimpered, clutching the Shepherd tightly. “I want to stay with you... I want to see Ember.”

“I am sorry, Selene but you can't have him. He needs to go to the others where he will be safe.” The Shepherd replied softly. At that moment, the hospital security showed up, along with officers from the local police station who upon seeing the tense situation immediately drew their guns and aimed them directly at the Shepherd. Some of he nurses and doctors that were mulling around took cover in nearby patient rooms, peering out into the hall.

Selene turned to the nurse whom she had spoken to earlier. “You called the fucking cops? I told you to get security, nothing else. We could have handled it without them. Can't you see that the man is unarmed. The police are going to only make things worse.” She shouted loudly, scolding the young nurse who then took off running away from the crowd. Selene sighed and turned her attention toward the officers, glaring at them. “What the hell are you doing! Can't you see he's holding my grandchild? If you shoot him, you're going to hit the boy.”

The police man gave Selene a stern look. “I'd like to remind you that you guys called us for help. We didn't barge in here and stick our nose where it doesn't belong. The nurse said that there was a man trying to abduct a child here, and that's serious business.” The officer stepped in front of Selene blocking off her view of the Shepherd. “Ma'am you're a bit out of your element here. Why don't you go wait over there and let us take care of the situation? I can assure you that no one is getting hurt, we are experts in hostage negotiation.”

“Didn't you hear what Tristan said? That man promised him that he could go see Ember! That's the girl from next door to Thomas and Lizzie who went missing. He knows where she is! Put those guns away before someone gets hurt!” Selene shot back at the officer. Her eyes were flashing with fury and both of her hands were balled into fists. She was one moment away from cold cocking the officer just to get him out of her way. “This is my hospital, you WILL do what I say.”

“Alright lady, have it your way then.” The officer nodded to one of his men and they grabbed Selene by her arms and pulled her back behind the nurses station, restraining her. “Let me go! You don't know what you're dealing with! Stop this!”

Cocking his gun, the police officer held it up, aiming directly at the Shepherd of the Damned. “Mister. You got exactly one minute before I put a bullet right through your skull. You have two choices here, one is put that child down and step away, and come with us peacefully, where no one gets hurt, or two, you can resist us and we can take you down by any means necessary. Now that doctor over there is worried that I am going to hit the kid, but I will tell you flat out that I am a crack shot, and once I pull this trigger that bullet isn't going to miss you, and you will be long dead even before your body hits the floor. So I want you to think real hard about what your next move is going to be.”

The Shepherd whispered something into Tristan's ear, and the boy glanced back up at him, his eyes all wet and watery. Kissing him on the forehead again, the Shepherd slowly set Tristan down, the plastic beads on the bottoms of his spaceship pajamas scuffed along the floor. As the little boy stood patiently next to him, the Shepherd shrugged off his jacket, tossing it aside, and exposing a fitted black t-shirt underneath that hugged his slender body perfectly. He looked down to Tristan. “Are you ready to go?” He asked. Standing next to him, the little boy reached up, taking hold of the Shepherd's hand. The two of them stood there at the end of the hall, the sun rising behind them, filling the corridor with a brilliant amber light, bringing with it the promise of a new day.

Tristan tugged on the Shepherd's hand. “Stay with me?”

“Don't let me go, Tristan.” The Shepherd replied, and the little boy squeezed his hand as tight as he could. Turning the gaze of his gray green eyes over to the nurse’s station, he looked at Selene who was being held by one of the officers. She met his gaze and held it fast, her anger instantly replaced with sadness. Nodding to him, she stopped struggling against the officer who was holding her and he loosened his grip. The Shepherd lifted his foot to step forward, and suddenly everything seemed to move in slow motion. At the far end of the hall, the officer in charge shouted something at him, but the words fell on deaf ears. Before he could put his foot down to finish his stride, there was a loud pop, and a bright white flash of smoke rose from the policeman’s gun. The bullet whizzed down the hall at a breakneck speed, cutting through the thick air like a hot knife through butter. Keeping his eyes fixed and centered on some far off place that only he could see, the Shepherd hardly felt his skin break as the bullet penetrated the soft flesh of his shoulder and exit the other side in a bright red stream of blood. Beside him, Tristan winced and hesitated. “It's alright little one, keep walking. You are safe with me. No matter what happens keep walking.” Hearing the first gunshot, the nurses and doctors who had gathered around to watch the confrontation hit the floor, their hands over their ears, unable to tear themselves away from the gruesome scene unfolding before them. The Shepherd moved forward, taking another step closer to the policeman, who shouted something, but once again it was not heard. His finger pulled back on the trigger again, releasing another bullet, sending it down the corridor, where impacted the Shepherd's left hip, taking a large chunk of flesh out, creating a ever widening large stain on the side of his shirt. The Shepherd did not cry out, or acknowledge any of the pain, he simply held onto Tristan's hand tightly. The third shot came without warning, hitting the Shepherd in the middle of the thigh. He staggered, but did not fall. Nurses started to cry and retreat further away, too frightened to watch anymore of the scene unfold. The rest of the police force did not react, they simply stood by, dumbstruck and in shock that their superior officer would shoot a unarmed man several times. The officer barked commands at them, but not a single one of them obeyed. Furious that his men wouldn't listen, and the fact that the Shepherd was still standing, he fired again, and this time the bullet struck the Shepherd in the chest, just above his heat, and he stopped moving. Behind him, the trail of blood spilled out down the hall, a bright red trail following their footsteps.

Tristan squeezed the Shepherd's hand and looked up at him with confused eyes. “I remember Prox. It was a nice place.”

Through cloudy eyes, the Shepherd smiled down at the boy at his side. “I know. You are going to start to remember a lot of things now... I am sorry I can't keep you safe from those memories anymore.”

“Why Benjamin?” Tristan asked innocently. “You promised you'd always keep us safe.”

The Shepherd turned his head to Selene and nodded to her. He loosened his grip on Tristan's hand. “It's time to go.” Once again, he started to move forward, only now the police officer had managed to rally his men to standing at his side. They were all now pointing their weapons at the Shepherd. With heavy steps, he walked, ignoring them all. Soon the hall was lit up with several blinding flashes of light all at once as the entire group of police opened fire on the Shepherd. At the nurses station directly across from where the Shepherd and Tristan were walking, Selene broke free from the man who was holding her back and sprinted out into the rain of gun fire, diving forward and grabbing for Tristan. Her arms wrapped around his little body, wrenching it away from the Shepherd, and the little boy started to scream. Selene pulled him into a empty room and slammed the door shut behind her. Tristan kicked and flailed about madly, trying everything he could to get free from her and return to the Shepherd, but she wasn't letting go of him. Pulling the boy over to the corner of the room, Selene lifted him into her lap, hugging him tightly and started rocking back and forth, tears flowing down her face and trying desperately to drown out the sound of hundreds of gunshots outside.

As the bullets started to penetrate his body, the Shepherd stood still, stretching his arms out to his side, and closed his eyes. Round after round hit their mark, penetrating his vital organs, ripping his body to shreds. Blood splattered over the walls floor and ceiling as every officer emptied their weapons into the Shepherd's body. He did not cry out, he did not flinch or whimper, but instead, took every shot with a flat, disconnected stare. One by one, the officers started to run out of ammo. The gun fire trailed off, and soon it all stopped just as quickly as it started, leaving the hall filled with the terrible acrid smell of smoke. Through the white haze, the Shepherd opened his eyes, those gray green eyes blanketed with a eerie nothingness. He still stood, his body covered in blood and bits of torn flesh. His form fitting black t-shirt gleamed in the florescent lights, now completely saturated by his blood. Staring the crowd down, the Shepherd whispered. “I forgive you all for what you have done, but you have sealed your own fate.” The police stood there, staring at him in disbelief. Everything was silent except for the distinct sound of the Shepherd’s blood dripping down and splattering against the concrete floor.

Far past the squad of officers, a man stepped out of a room and, seeing the commotion started running toward them. He made it to the back of the group of police, and forcibly shoved his way through, despite all the warnings that they gave him. Making his way to the front of the crowd, Brock stared at the sight before him in disbelief. “Benjamin? What have they done to you?” At that moment, The Shepherd closed his eyes and crumpled onto the floor. Immediately the police moved in to restrain him, but Brock pushed them all back, screaming at them to get away. He hurried over to where Ben had fallen and sat down next to him, looking at the broken body of his friend. “What the hell is going on here Ben?” Brock placed a hand on Ben’s chest and immediately withdrew it. His fingers came away stained with blood. There was no movement, no sign of life. Sliding his fingers down Ben’s neck, Brock desperately felt for a pulse. Nothing. Brock sat back and stared at the bright red color smeared across his hands, and suddenly felt very weak. He would never get his answer. The Shepherd of the Damned was dead.

The woman sat at her desk and looked at her clip board. There was still so much to do before it was time to leave. She hated being in charge, it was a role that she was thrown into, but somehow managed to excel at. Still, she took every chance that she had to take the opportunity to travel for work. It gave her the chance to explore and broaden her very limited horizons. Her every move being monitored and watched almost since birth, she found her new found freedom exhilarating. Opening her desk drawer, she pulled out some hair pins and took hold of her silvery-white hair, winding it up into a tight ball on the top of her head and pinning it neatly in place. Grabbing her blue tinted glasses, she slid them on, finding that wearing them made it easier for her to deal with people, since they would often be distracted when speaking to her by the color of her lavender eyes. She hated being stared at. Standing up, she went over the large bay window and pulled the curtains open, revealing a launch pad and space shuttle being refueled for the next trip to Prox. In the year since the discovery, she had made many trips there and back again, glad just to leave Earth and go to a place where she wouldn't be judged for who she was.

There was a tap on her door, and her thoughts were interrupted. “Come in.” She called out, and the door opened, revealing a man dressed in a plain white button down shirt with a black bow-tie. His dark hair was messy and the circles underneath his eyes were evidence that he was lacking sleep.

“I came to see if there is anything else that needs to be done before we leave.” Dustin Bates asked meekly. Giving him a sideways look, the woman returned to her desk and picked up the clip board, shoving at him.

Gingerly taking it from her, Dustin adjusted his glasses, not even looking at it. “Aurora, is there something wrong? Ever since this morning, you seem distant, distracted. Talk to me. Maybe I can help?”

Aurora scowled at him. “I told you not to call me that. It's too familiar… And why the hell are you up here? You know that these floors are reserved for high ranking officers only. You should be down on the main floor, or working in the lab with the other research scientists.”

Dustin scoffed. “There's no one here but the two of us. Who cares if I call you by your first name? It's no big deal.” He shrugged and didn’t seem bothered by her brash scolding. “I wanted to come see you before we have to leave, you know, to see if I can help you with anything. It’s pretty easy to get to the upper levels here if you know how to reprogram a key card.” He boasted.

Walking back over to the window again, Aurora turned her back on Dustin and continued to watch the men prepare the ship bound for Prox crossing her arms over her chest. “You really are an idiot, aren't you Bates? New West is on the verge of something big here, and we are the people crucial to making it all happen. Do you really think that they wouldn't have a constant monitor on key individuals, keeping an eye on them to make sure that all goes as planned? One little slip up, one person talking to the wrong group, saying the wrong thing and everything can come crashing down. You have been placed into my care, and you have to answer to me. I've told you so many times before that is all we can have. I won't go risking my position here just because you have some stupid crush on me or whatever. We are adults here, and expected to do a job, so act like one and stop acting so familiar around me.”

“I'm sorry” Dustin replied. His fingers curled around the edge of the clipboard and he kept his eyes focused on it as he spoke. “I didn't think that....”

“That's the problem! You don't think, and that's what started all this trouble.” Aurora sighed and turned around, making her way back over to him. She took the clipboard out of his hands and threw it back onto the desk. “Listen, New West is really pissed that you didn't do what you were told to do a year ago.” Dustin started to say something but she brought a finger up to his lips and hushed him. “I know that you think you did, but since you did not bring back proof, they won't accept it, and therefore we have to go back there and finish it. Maybe this time if you take us to the correct coordinates, and we can locate the base that you mentioned, we can get it done and move on. It’s all a matter of trust with them. They want results and answers, and unless you are bringing them something definite, then you won’t go anywhere in the organization. You have to give them a reason to put their trust in you. So to answer your question earlier, yes I am stressed out, because New West is expecting results, and I am afraid that their patience is wearing thin with the both of us. You were placed in my care for a reason, and I am afraid that they aren’t getting exactly what they expected. I've received numerous warnings from them, and I think that this might be our last push. If we don't find the Shallow Bay, on this trip back, it's going to be both of our heads on the chopping block.”

“What about Travis Owen? Maybe if New West digs through his memories one more time, they could find something there that they missed before. They are keeping track of his location, right? Why don’t they go pick him up from wherever he is and scan him again, there’s got to be something there. After all, he was on Prox far longer than I was. He knows the terrain.” Dustin said, trying to sound confident without being too pushy.

“No.” Aurora’s voice rose slightly. “Travis is a dead end, useless. All he cared about was getting off Prox and saving that little girl, which we never found a trace of either. It's like both her and the base disappeared. He doesn’t have any coordinates. You could put him in the desert here on Earth and he would swear that he’s back on Prox again. Besides, since we put that implant in his brain, we can dig through again anytime we want remotely, it’s not a big deal. Stop trying to put the blame on others, Dustin. The simple fact is that it was you who went to that planet with a squad of New West security, to kill a man, and you came back without blood on your hands, or the proper location of the base to prove that you were even there. Now I will admit that even I don’t know why they went along with your idea in the first place. If this person was stuck on Prox, completely incapacitated, then what’s the big deal? How could he be any sort of threat to them? There’s probably more to the story than we are privy to, and right now, I am okay with that. The way I see it, this all falls on your head here. New West thinks you are lying to them, and that puts you in a very dangerous place. They don’t take kindly to liars and people that betray them.” Her voice grew quiet. “They have a habit of disappearing, or worse yet; end up with one of those implants.”

Placing his hands on her arms, Dustin drew her in close. He could make out the sweet scent of her cherry blossom perfume that hung in the air around her. “You know I won't let them do anything to you Aurora.”

Wiggling out of his grasp, Aurora turned around, reaching for the clipboard again. “Stop it! Don't make promises that you can't keep, Bates. We are both in over our heads now, and I fully intend on dragging myself out of this mess, even if that means I have to climb over you to do it, no matter how you feel about me.” She glanced at him and saw the hurt in his eyes. “Knock it off; you know how this was going to go, so stop acting like a emo kid. It wasn’t in the cards for either of us to get anything out of this other than a casual relationship. Anything more than that is a risk, one that I don’t think is worth taking. I will admit that sometimes I do get lonely, but then I remember how hard I fought for my position here, and what this place means to me, and shove everything else back down inside. These people are my family, and you don’t betray your family.” Underneath the glasses, Aurora’s eyes set upon Dustin, almost daring him to start an argument, but he remained silent. “So you get where I am coming from, so don’t ever bring it up again, Bates. Now come on, we have work to do before take-off.” Just as she made it over to the desk, she stopped, let out a loud cry of pain and lunged forward, leaning over.

Dustin rushed to her side, gently placing a hand on her back to comfort her. “Aurora, what's going on? Hey, talk to me. Come on, don’t shut me out here.”

Lifting her head up, she glanced at him, confused. “I don't know. It's my shoulder. All of a sudden I felt this sharp pain going right through it, almost like someone shot me.” Reaching up, she rubbed the spot. “It's on fire.” Grabbing hold of the sleeve of her dress, she gave it a harsh tug, and pulled the material down, exposing the bare skin of her shoulder. Her hand shaking with pain and agony, she gingerly touched the place where the pain was, but there was no wound, no sign of trauma or damage, not even a small red mark of irritation. “I don’t get it, there’s nothing there, and yet the pain is so intense, I feel nauseous.”

Pulling the chair out for her, Dustin led her over to it, helping her sit down. “Should I call a medic for you?”

Aurora waved him away. “No no. I am sure it's nothing; maybe I pinched a nerve or something... Give me a few minutes before assuming the worst. I have been working too much on....ahhh.” Gripping her side just above her hip, she crumbled over the side of the chair, pulling away from Dustin, writhing in agony. “What is this? Fucking hell it hurts so much.” Slipping her fingers underneath the belt she was wearing, she slightly lowered the waistband of her skirt. Nothing, no wound or irritation, but the pain was unlike anything else she had ever experienced before. She glanced back up at Dustin. “What am I feeling? How can it be this painful and there not be any wounds? Am I really experiencing this or is it a false reality? Is it New West? Are they fucking with my head?”

Dustin knew that at this point, she was beyond the point of trying to calm down, he had to find another way to help her. “That's it, I am calling for help. The medical staff will know what to do. Stay there, don't move.”

Holding onto her side, Aurora glared at Dustin. “Don't go calling anyone. I can walk myself down to the medical wing. Besides, I don't want anyone to know that we're alone in here together. It would look bad. There would be too many questions and New West already hates you.” She gestured to him. “Here, just help me get to my feet and I will bloody well walk down there myself. Don’t be so damn clingy.” Stretching out her arm, she let Dustin gently help her up, trying her best to ignore the strange, burning points of white hot pain in her shoulder and her side. Together, the two of them managed to walk halfway across the room, when suddenly Aurora screamed and grabbed her thigh. Her legs buckled and she slipped out of Dustin's grasp and fell onto the floor. “It hurts..... so bad....” She moaned through clenched teeth. “I don’t think I am going to be able to walk much further.” Pulling her blue tinted glasses off, she tossed them aside, and for the first time Dustin could see real fear in her lavender eyes. “Dustin, get out of here, I will call the medical staff on my own.” She grabbed hold of the white sleeve of his shirt. “Please, go. Don’t get yourself in any more trouble. 5 minutes, that’s all I can give you. If you take the maintenance elevator down, no one will see you leaving the floor, but please be quick about it. I don’t know if it’s going hit me again. For fuck’s sake go!”

“Screw it; I am making the call... If they want to put me on the firing range for being with you, then they can go ahead and do it. I don't care, you need help.” Jumping to his feet, Dustin went over to the intercom and punched in the number for the medical wing. He glanced back at Aurora to see that she was hunched over now, the once neat and tidy bun of her hair had come loose and the long white strands of it were streaming down over her face, concealing the agony that she was feeling. Finally, the page connected, and Dustin turned his attention back to the comm device. One of the staff answered in a flat, non-caring voice, asking him to state the nature of his medical emergency. “I am in room 2201. Level 2, command quarters, Aurora.... er....Miss Burnley's room. Something has happened to her, she's in a lot of pain, you have to send someone down here right away. I don't know what's it is, you just have to come here as soon as possible.”

The voice on the other end of the intercom hesitated. “Who is this?”

Dustin punched the wall. “Ugh who cares? She needs medical attention right away.” The voice on the other end stayed silent. “Fine, it's Dustin Bates. Are you happy now? Can you please hurry the hell up?”

“Bates? How did you get access to Miss Burnley's office? Do you even have access to that wing? I am notifying security of your location.”

Rolling his eyes, Dustin leaned closer to the speaker and started to shout. “Who fucking cares? Get someone down here right now, she’s in a lot of pain and I.....” His words were suddenly drowned out by the sound of Aurora letting out a blood curdling scream from behind him. Turning around, Dustin saw Aurora’s body go completely limp for a moment, and then she started writhing on the floor. Hurrying over to her, Dustin watched helplessly as her body was thrashing back and forth in a wild series of convulsions. Foam was bubbling up through her clenched teeth and dripping over her lips and her eyes rolled back, exposing only the whites. Both of her hands were clutching at the carpet, clawing in agony at the thick pile.

In between screams, she started mumbling. “I feel his agony, they are killing him, oh god it hurts…”

Dustin placed his hands on Aurora’s shoulders, trying his best to stop her from thrashing about and injuring herself even more. “Who Aurora, who are they killing?” He asked curiously.

Her eyes shot open for a moment, and Dustin had to look away. The deep pools of lavender color that he once gazed upon in admiration were now lined and dotted with bright red veins, an obvious sign that she was having some sort of mental episode. “The Shepherd.” She screamed. “They are killing the Shepherd and we are all Damned!”

Dustin drew back for a moment. A flash of memory entered his head. Prox. Benjamin, Brock...Burnley. He staggered back, losing his balance and ended up on the carpet next to her, trembling. Then as quickly as it came, it disappeared again, leaving nothing but traces and feelings of the past behind. Taking his glasses off, he rubbed his eyes and took a moment to catch his breath. This was too much, all at once. He didn't know what to do. Aurora was still in pain, she was his priority. He took a moment to think about what she had said earlier about the consequences of the two of them being caught alone together and then glanced down at her. Her skin was ashen white, and she was struggling to breathe now. Whatever was happening to her was progressing quickly, and he had a feeling that she'd be dead within minutes if he didn't act fast. “Ah fuck it.” He grumbled, and bent down, scooping her up in his arms, flying out the door. As he hurried down the hall, ignoring the stares of the other New West employees, he whispered to her. “Come on Aurora, fight this... don't leave me. I love you.”


End file.
